Left to Pick up the Pieces
by Smicc
Summary: A little vignette in Sakura's POV on the aftermath of Sasuke leaving and Naruto chasing after him. It's set 13 years after they leave. As long as you've seenread the battle of the end fight there aren't any spoilers. In honor of the end of the fillers!


This is a story I wrote almost a year ago. I forgot about it and after some editing decided that it still held some value so I decided to post it after all. It's also in honor of the next episode finally being the end of the fillers!!! Next week is finally the anime premier of the the POST-TIME JUMP NON-FILLER GOODNESS!!!

It's set 13 years after Sasuke and Naruto left. There's no real paring, well actually there is _slight_ sasunaru but blink and you miss it.**  
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**Left to pick up the pieces**

I glanced out over the bridge, _our_ meeting place. If I closed my eyes I could see the three of us there. Sasuke would be leaning against the furthest post eyes closed and head down. Naruto would be on the opposite end of the bridge, his moods would vary, some days he would be hyper and challenging Sasuke, others he would be half asleep, sometimes he would even give into a little brooding. Then I would be in the middle, always the mediator.

It seemed that no matter where I went these days I was constantly being reminded of how things were. A loud voice in a crowd and I would think on Naruto. A person in all blue and white standing to the side made me think of Sasuke. The smell of Ramen, a shock of blonde hair, black locks falling in someone's face, leaves in the forest, the Hokage monument, the academy, our training ground, the sound of bells, the glimmer of someone's Hitai, all of these silly little things made me think of them.

Sasuke had turned traitor and gone off to gain more power. After Naruto's mission to retrieve him had failed and the five had returned home, beaten and Sasuke-less Naruto wouldn't even look me in the face. Not even a week later Naruto had left too, he didn't even take the time to say goodbye. I had gone looking for him to apologize for the way I had been acting. I went over to his house and found it practically empty. The furniture remained but his weapons, orange jumpsuit and ramen was all gone.

I honestly should have seen it coming. They never got along, Sasuke was unhappy, Naruto was faking, and I was oblivious to both of their plights. They were always fighting, they called each other rivals and I foolishly believed them. What I didn't see was the fact that they trusted each other with their lives, and against all odds they were friends.

It wasn't like the break-up of seven was an overnight event. There were signs all along, just little things, Naruto catching up to Sasuke, Sasuke becoming darker and more desperate to attain power. There wasn't really a catalyst that started the transformation it was gradual. The time we spent with Tazuna, the fight with Haku and Zabuza, the second test of the chunin exam, the hospital time after the chunin exam, Naruto leaving with Jiraiya and learning an attack to rival Sasuke's own. Our whole time as a team had been leading up to a cataclysmic break up.

Now, Sometimes when someone mentions my team I sit there and laugh and laugh and laugh, I'll remember the good times, the bad times and all the faking, but for the most part I'm laughing because I never imagined that two people would mean so much to me. They had wormed their way into my heart and then left me just as I was starting to realize I was taking them, and our time together, for granted. I wish I could just see us all together one last time, one last lesson, one last spar, one last trip to Ichikaru's, one last attempt to see Kakashi-sensei's face. But then I know it's not possible.

It's been thirteen years since Sasuke and Naruto left for good. I sit here on top of the Hokage monument. It's been a tradition to come up here this week and just remember my friends. I'm not alone though; Kakashi-sensei is up here with me too. Some days we talk and remember the times, some days we just sit up here and think of them. This year is special though; Tsunade-sama has stepped down as Hokage. She's tired, tired of everything. For the last four years she's been holding out for Naruto to come back. After Naruto left she told me all about their bet, I had never realized how close Naruto was to actually becoming Hokage, if he had stayed here he'd be Hokage right now. Instead Tsunade-sama has named Kakashi-sensei as her successor.

Today is one of those days where we talk about what we've been doing. Kakashi-sensei still looks as clueless as he always did. His face is buried in his little orange book but he hasn't turned a page since we've been up here.

"Are you nervous?" I ask him, since it's been the two of us on the team I've been getting better at reading his emotions. He doesn't look up from his book.

"… I'm not nervous to be Hokage… I'm afraid of taking away Naruto's dreams," he says after a moment. I have to admit I never looked at it like that.

"He'd want you to… He'd say he'd rather have you be Hokage than Sasuke," I chuckled. I'd long since gotten past crying at the mention of either name. Kakashi-sensei grinned beneath his mask. He'd found the thought humorous as well. We lapsed into silence for a little while after that.

"Besides he forfeited those dreams when he left… " I say. "You know Kakashi-sensei. I don't think they're ever coming back… I know they're still alive out there, somewhere… I miss them," I say looking down over the village biting my lower lip in an attempt to stop my tears. Kakashi-sensei puts a hand on my shoulder and it's the only invitation I need. I lunge into his arms sobbing. He strokes my hair and makes shushing noises. Others may think it was more, but it wasn't. We had a student-teacher relationship; well actually now a days it was more of a father-daughter relationship but nothing more.

"I don't think they are either… they're not coming back but they aren't dead… we can only hope that they've found each other." Said Kakashi-sensei. I look up at him confused.

"What do you mean found each other?" I ask him.

"I'm positive Naruto didn't give up searching for Sasuke… He may still be searching for him, but he must have found him at one point to still be chasing him." Smiled Kakashi-sensei.

"That's good… They aren't alone…" I said gazing out over the village still hugging Kakashi-sensei.

"We aren't either. You have your other friends, Ino and Le-"

"But its not the same as having _them_" I said interrupting Kakashi-sensei. He nods, and then releases me.

I smile up at Kakashi-sensei, It's so like him to be reading that book while giving his acceptance speech. I'm sitting up here next to the podium facing out over the audience. Their reactions are all too familiar. Their mouths are wide open in shock at their new Hokage, I can almost see the wheel's turning in their heads, 'This can't be true! That pervert is our new Hokage.' Its funny to think that just thirteen years ago I would have been in the audience with the same reaction along side of Naruto who would be much more vocal in his protestations and Sasuke who would have glared.

Kakashi-sensei is sitting back down beside me now; Tsunade-sama is speaking on his behalf. I smile and give him a thumbs-up. He smiles and then nods his head to the top of the Hokage Monument behind the audience. On top of it stands two tall, cloaked men. I scrutinize them for a moment. They notice Kakashi-sensei and I watching them. The shorter one pulls back his hood to reveal bright blonde hair, bright blue eyes and a devious smile. I gasp involuntarily, Naruto just smiles. The taller one hits him on the head. Naruto glared up at him and yanks his partners hood off to reveal a slightly amused looking Sasuke. I gasp again and tears come unbidden to my eyes. Next to me Kakashi-sensei smiles and gives them a small wave. Naruto grins even wider and give him a thumbs-up. Kakashi-sensei looks relieved. Sasuke glares down at us, his eyes showing a slight bit of amusement. He mouths to us 'Thank you for sending the Dobe to me.' Naruto is oblivious to Sasuke's statement. I nod.

"They look happy," whispers Kakashi-sensei. I nod and wipe away my tears.

"They do. Much happier than I ever saw them here… We were just caging them. It's good that they left… I'm happy for them, and now I have proof that they're happy and safe," I whisper back.

And then with a final wave both men disappear. Leaving me once again to pick up the pieces of life they've left behind.

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Thank you for reading my little drabble. Hopefully it was completely awful. I'd love to get some feedback on it... 

anything really other than:

"Hey this didn't happen! Have you been living under a rock! There's manga out there that order dealt with the post-time jump happenings!"

But thank you again! Please read and review and it will make my day!

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